The name "Will Levis" probably means different things to different people. Some envision a prospective franchise quarterback, while others eye him as a fantasy football sleeper. Then there are those who primarily view him as the NFL player who puts mayonnaise in his coffee. In 2024, he's leaning into all of these narratives.
The starting quarterback of the Tennessee Titans is releasing a mayo-inspired fragrance with Hellmann's: "Will Levis No. 8." Yes, this is a real thing. After all, who can resist a scent containing notes of tart lemon, mayonnaise accord with coffee undertones, musk and vanilla?
"It's been a very exciting process," Levis told CBS Sports. "We started last year when we announced my life-time supply of mayonnaise contract with Hellmann's, and now being an official spokesperson for them is really exciting. One of the ideas we had to 'bottle up' my love for mayonnaise and share it with the world was to create this Will Levis parfum de mayonnaise -- Will Levis No. 8 -- to share.
"It is what it says it is, it's a mayonnaise-based fragrance, but we do promise that it smells great, it smells like greatness. It's got the undertones that you'd think of in a mayonnaise: A little lemon, a little bit of coffee undertone to kind of play with how this whole thing got started."
While Levis is now a pioneer on the olfactory front, he's also actively forging a path to become the star quarterback the Titans desire. A lot has happened over the course of the past year. Last August, Levis was battling for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. This August, he's putting a conscious effort into being a leader the entire franchise can rally around.
"I think last year, stepping in, not being the guy until about midway through the season, I kinda had to play that role of being a leader however I could, mostly just through my actions and how I worked and showing the guys that I have the capabilities to be the quarterback this team needs," said Levis. "That led to playing, which led to more confidence, so then ending the season going into the next year knowing that I was going to be the starter, started to make some things click in my brain and understand how I can lean into this leadership role and figure out on my own what kind of leader I want to be for this team."
Levis organized group workouts this offseason to build chemistry with his playmakers on offense, including a sweet trip to Cabo. For Levis, it's about showing his "openness" -- to be there for his guys in whatever way they need.
"That starts with showing them that I'm prepared and capable and ready every time we go out there," said Levis. "And then from there it's creating those personal relationships and understanding the types of players they are individually, and how they are able to be led most effectively. It's been a long process, and it's a never-ending process as there's gonna be new additions to this team as the year goes on and there will be new developments with the mindsets of all these players. It's on me as the quarterback to make sure that I keep everyone together and that we all are working towards the same common goal which is the Super Bowl, and we've been making strides the past couple weeks just throughout training camp, and it's been really cool to see."
Levis understands the kind of opportunity he has in 2024. The Titans front office invested resources into their young quarterback this offseason -- from hiring an offensive-minded head coach who has worked with several notable quarterbacks at different stages of their careers, to creating one of the best WR trios in the entire league.
"It gives me a sense of confidence that they trust me, for them to invest the money in specifically my side of the ball, it's cool to see the weapons and the capability that we have as an offense, and we've been able to show throughout training camp that they've made the right decisions in that way," said Levis. "Continuing to prove every day how we are going to be able to use these new additions and what our identity for the offense is going to be going forward, it's cool to see. It just makes me want to work harder for everyone in the front office knowing that they believe in me with the decisions that they're making with the roster."
Levis is known for his cannon of an arm, but when asked about a specific part of his game that he worked on for this upcoming season, Levis actually brought up running the ball.
"Really my health and getting my athleticism back and being able to use my legs a little bit more," said Levis. "Not that we're going to be a power zone read team, but I'd just like to be able to understand when it's appropriate and feeling my pocket presence and being able to get out and make plays on the edge. I'm getting better in that way and understanding the times when it's appropriate to do those things. Still playing within the parameters of the play, but understanding that those are the big plays that make or break games. So I want to add that to my arsenal and show that I'm capable of that."
Offensively, the Derrick Henry days are over in Nashville. This new system is going to be about spreading the ball around to everyone. When asked about something NFL fans are going to learn about the Titans quickly in 2024, that's what Levis pointed to.
"Our versatility," said Levis. "I think that our identity as a team is going to be pretty different than what teams have been used to seeing when the Titans play. And that's something we'll figure out along the way too. We need to play games to understand what we're good at. We have a decent idea of it after OTAs and after the first couple weeks of training camp of what we're going to be able to do, but it's different when it's live and the bullets start flying. We have a lot of playmakers, a lot of guys who deserve to touch the ball and we're going to spread it around and get everyone touches."
Levis also boasted about the new-look Titans defense, now led by former Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson. Apparently, he's been throwing the offense all they can handle in practice, which is something Levis believes will help it right out of the gate.
"They're showing us a bunch of different looks," Levis said. "The variability that Dennard has brought with our defensive system has helped us as quarterbacks and how we're able to see coverage and understand the different types of pressures and craziness that goes on with the different packages they have. There really isn't a better defense, I'd say, for us to be preparing against because there's just so much to lock in on and understand in all the different situations.
"It's been great. It's frustrating at times because it's difficult, but it's only made us better."
Some football fans in Nashville have dubbed this offseason as the most exciting one in franchise history, but what are the realistic expectations for the Titans in 2024? The AFC South could be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, and Tennessee's Over/Under win total is listed at 6.5 at sportsbooks. Only three teams have longer Super Bowl odds for the 2024 season.
What would success look like for Levis in 2024? Put simply, it's making the right decisions as a quarterback.
"I'm not going to look at stats, I'm not going to look at record," Levis said. "I just think I want to turn the tape on and see myself doing the right boring things on a consistent basis. I think that's how quarterbacks play in this league for the longest time is they never get bored with doing the boring thing, and just taking a profit and understanding that, 'Yeah, we want to get this shot, we want to get this deep ball or this play in this coverage,' but the right decision isn't always that. And we know that if we just continue to keep repping it and are consistent with how we're seeing it and everyone doing their jobs -- those shots will show up eventually. I think I've done a good job of that in camp and how I'm seeing things and checking it down. We got great backs to be able to catch the ball in space so being comfortable with checking it down to them and letting them work, seeing the value in that and understanding just how everything works together on the offensive side.
"If I can just put on the tape and know that I'm out there seeing things well and digesting everything that's coming at me in a proper way, that will make me very confident."
